She told me she didn’t want to move in until they were married. She wanted to leave something sacred for marriage. I didn’t point out that she spent most nights there anyway. Now, however, that’s where she gets her mail, so it’s official.
“You ready?” Rip asks from the doorway of his bathroom.
“Yes,” I say, placing the wand back in my mascara.
“You don’t need that stuff.”
“What stuff?”
“Makeup. You’re already beautiful.”
“Are you setting yourself up to get lucky tonight, cowboy?” I ask, fluttering my mascara-coated lashes at him.
“Oh, I’m getting lucky, and by association, so are you.” He winks, and my body flares to life.
I don’t know if I’ll ever not have this reaction to him. We’ve been dating for a month. Although it feels as though a lifetime has passed, every look, every touch, every sexual encounter feels like our first. To say that I’m madly in love with him would be an understatement. Not that I’ve told him. The thought of saying those words and him not feeling the same makes me sick to my stomach. Yeah, I’m not going there. Not yet.
“No time for that,” I say, walking past him. I should have known he wouldn’t let me off that easy. He snakes an arm around my waist and pulls me close.
“We can make time. You come first, remember? You need me to take care of the ache, Kenna?”
“You are so bad,” I say breathlessly.
He chuckles. “Only for you, baby.” He runs his hands over my breasts. Even covered in my tank top, I know he can feel my body's reaction to him. “Tell me what you want, baby.”
“We have to go.”
His lips find their way to my neck. “You sure about that?” He nips at my ear.
As if she knows that her brother is trying to seduce me, my cell rings, and a quick glance at the screen tells me I’m right. It’s Laramie calling.
“Don’t answer,” Rip says as he continues trailing kisses down my neck. Like the hussy I am for him, I tilt my head to the side, giving him full access. “There’s my girl,” he whispers huskily. My phone stops ringing, only to start again.
“She’s going to keep calling,” I say as I pull away from him. Retrieving my phone from my back pocket, I answer. “Hey.”
“Are you having sex?” she huffs out, and I sputter with laughter.
“No. We’re not doing that,” I tell her honestly. Not that we both don’t want it to lead there.
“We could be,” Rip calls out so that Laramie can hear him.
“You two better get your asses over here. You’re late.”
Pulling the phone from my ear, I see she’s right. It’s five minutes after six. “We’re on our way. You need us to stop and pick anything up?”
“No. We have everything. Just waiting on you slowpokes.” I can tell by the tone of her voice she’s trying not to laugh. “I mean, we are the newlyweds,” she teases.
“Hey, we were married years ago. We just haven’t lost the spark,” Rip says, again his voice is loud enough she can hear.
“Am I on speaker?”
“No, he’s just… close.”
“Damn right, I’m close,” Rip says, patting my ass, making me yelp.
“Rip, hands off and get your ass over here,” Laramie says so loud, I have to pull the phone from my ear.
“On our way, little sister,” he replies. He then takes the phone from my hand and ends the call. “Killjoy,” he mutters.
“Come on. I need to grab the brownies and cookies I made and the gift.”
“Tell me again why we had to get them another gift?” We got them a wedding gift.
I smile, thinking about that conversation. He was insistent that we put both of our names on the gifts we bought separately. “We’re together now, Kenna. This is what we do,” he’d told me.
“What’s got you all smiley?” he inquires.
“You, Rip Callahan. This smile is all for you.”
“Good.” He leans down and kisses me. “I want all your smiles.”
“Come on, cowboy. We’re already in trouble.”
“We’re taking my truck.”
“What’s wrong with my car?” I ask, even though I already know. Rip is tall at six four, and my little Honda isn’t made for a man his size.
“Too damn small,” he grumbles.
“Fine, you big baby.” I roll my eyes playfully as he extends his arms out for me, but I’m able to jump back before he reaches me and race out of his room and down the steps.
“That took forever,” Laramie says when she answers the door.
“I love the sign,” I say, pointing to the gift I got them for their wedding. It’s a welcome sign with their last name and wedding date.
“Me too. Thank you so much,” she says, pulling me into the house.
“Nice to see you too, sis.” Rip chuckles behind us.
“Hey, Rip.” She waves a hand in the air, pulling me into the living room. “I’ve missed you,” she says, plopping down on the couch, pulling me down with her.